Smells and Bells

Anyone who has met my dad would be surprised to know that some of his closest friends are women who practice all kinds of movement and touch therapy. His friend Celine is a massage therapist in addition to being certified in reiki. I grew up with her making house calls and giving my family different soaps and products for healing and wellness. His other friend Traca is a yoga instructor and energy healer who works with both of us to strengthen our bodies and spirits. She told me about Kripalu, a yoga and wellness center in Western Massachusetts, and encouraged me to go. And so when Elizabeth Robinson came into class, saying I was excited was an understatement- this was material that I was very familiar with and excited by. I have always been a big supporter of the healing power of massage and reiki, and have hoped to incorporate these more natural remedies into my own practice after college. Kripalu in the summer Elizabeth Robinson's passion for JourneyDance surprised me b...

In Deepest Sense: A History of Touch by Constance Classen the book explains the historical use of touch as a means of healing in the middle ages. Religion and spiritual ideals were closely related to health practices during that time. For example, monasteries often functioned as medical centers. The book described many healing practices some of which were later disclaimed. However among these practices were methods that still carry relevance today."Surgeons were advised to have 'light hands', expeditious in operating, lest you cause the patient pain." While "Physicians, the 'medical masters' might prescribe tactile treatments ranging from cupping to massage to hot baths" (49). Classen also spoke of different practices that relied on superstition or trickery. For example she referenced the German physician Franz Anton Mesmer "who postulated the existence of a universal magnetic fluid that can be felt not seen" and he worked to channel and...

St. Johns Passion was an eruption of sound, a tremendous drama it seemed. Not being able to understand any of the words, I let the sounds wash over me, explosive in its volume and harmonies. I did not feel any particularly religious connection but I did feel the energy vibrations throughout the room increase exponentially. As the tones within the ensemble moved from full, passionate and voluminous, to calm undertones with a single voice cascading over them, I was able to feel invisible strings tugging at my emotions. I wasn't just hearing the music anymore, I was feeling the music throughout my whole body. This sensation put me in a state of feeling more connected to "something" greater than myself. This altered state of feeling includes a multitude of experiences: vibrancy, clarity, jubilance, clearance of negative feelings, being at ease and connected to everything and everyone around me. From my experience, I believe this sensation arises from being physically immer...